Jefferson County: Yesterday Detective Chris Hill arrested 42-year-old Tracy Bryant of Madison on charges of Theft and Forgery following a brief investigation. The investigation began April 3 when Det. Hill was contacted by representatives from the Prince of Peace Catholic Center in Madison. The investigation revealed Bryant had come to the Prince of Peace Catholic Center on Tuesday, April 2 seeking financial assistance. The Prince of Peace Catholic Center issued Bryant a check in the amount of $100 for assistance. Sometime during her interactions with officials at the Catholic Center she allegedly took an envelope from on outgoing mail slot which contained a check in the amount of $285 written from the personal checking account of one of the employees at the Catholic Center made out to another individual. Bryant then allegedly attempted to cash that check at a local bank. Bryant was arrested yesterday at her home without incident and taken to the Jefferson County Jail. In addition to the theft and forgery charges, she is also facing an enhanced charge of being a habitual criminal.

This incident should serve as a reminder that businesses and other charitable organizations should be particularly diligent of identifying individuals and their intentions when distributing poor relief funds. While most needs are legitimate, there are occasions when individuals will attempt take advantage of someone's generosity. In addition, citizens are warned this is the time of year when home improvement scammers begin seeking out possible targets for their scams. While anyone can find themselves duped by these individuals, they seem to target senior citizens more frequently.

Detective Hill was assisted in this investigation by Det. Ty Eblen of the Madison Police Department and D.J. Mote, Jefferson County Chief Deputy Prosecutor.

Persons arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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